Strasburg won't face Padres

Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (37) delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

/ AP

Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (37) delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg (37) delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, April 11, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) (/ AP)

If there was any chance Stephen Strasburg (above) would be making his first start against the Padres in the upcoming series — and there wasn’t that much to begin with — it was definitely doused by the rain that washed out the Washington Nationals’ game against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Last week, a Nationals official had not dismissed the possibility of Strasburg starting the Thursday finale in San Diego, where he first became a national phenom at SDSU. Strasburg pitched Saturday night, but with the day off Monday and the Nationals determined not to overextend their ace in his return from Tommy John surgery that clearly worked splendidly, the decision was made to match Strasburg against Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw in the opener of the Nats-Dodgers series on Friday night in L.A. With the rainout, though, Strasburg’s start will be pushed back to Saturday.

As much as the folks who sell tickets for Padres home games might be disappointed, the team surely will be better served by Strasburg using his often-untouchable stuff against other NL West clubs. In his first 25 innings this season — and Washington plans to limit him to 160 total — Strasburg has a 1.08 ERA and 25 strikeouts.

“I’ll see him on TV,” said Black, a fellow SDSU product. “I’ve seen him live. I saw him throw (a college game) here. I suspect in the next 10 years, wherever we are, I will see him live.”